Africa

Buy a TRN on G1 and keep the Med fleet alive for as long as possible. If the allies are spending resources on Africa, Germany should be able to spare some INF from Europe. The allies should have a hard time defending all three North African countries from Germany’s amph aslt of 4 INF, BB bombardment and planes without taking a lot of pressure off you in Europe. But once the Med fleet is gone Africa is lost. The Med fleet usually cannot be rebuilt.

Are you playing 2 hit BBs?

D_B_s right!

Take FWA and FEA with the units above those countries on G1.
Keep Ger BB and TRN in C MED sz for group support
TRN 2 INF from S EUR to LIB on G1 noncombat move.

On G2, take AES with INF and ARM from FEA, 2 INF from LIB and, 2 INF TRNed from S EUR with BB for support.

Keep placing 1 or 2 INF in S EUR each placement for a few turns to TRN them over.
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Of course, UK may mess you up by moving IND forces to AES for a strong DEF. But this makes it easier for Japan in Asia. Germany’s main roll is to hols out until Japan can threaten Moscova.Japan must push hard but not over extend!

Definitely dropping the extra transport is usually helpful. If air attacks go well on T1, I’ll sometimes send a fighter to africa to help block and attack. It’s a gamble though, assuming the fighter can be replaced in europe before you get overwhelmed by transports.

Yeah, a FTR in Africa can be a big boost & consider ARM vs INF there. While using TRs, INF are generally more efficient than ARM, but in Africa, a little ARM goes a long way. This is just a personal idea of mine, but I think Africa is an ideal locale for the use of 2-3 ARM supported by the 2 INF you have on the board at the start. Using these forces + ideally a FTR for a turn or 2, you might be able to make a good showing in Africa & be a royal pain in the butt to the Allies for a few turns. The reason why I think ARM is a better choice in Africa over INF is twofold:

1.) Mobility: Throughout the game, Africa usually consists of a few concentrations of units separated by empty land territories. This is IDEAL ARM country, as you can use your ability to blitz as well as launch sudden strikes on weak points in the Allied concentrations.

2.) Attack Power: ARM is the best land unit choice for attack. Combine that w/ mobility & you have a good force for holding out vs. the Allies for a turn after the fleet is eliminated. Depending on their deployment, you might be able to blitz around & squeeze a few more IPCs out of Africa before you are destroyed.

So that’s my argument for putting armor into Africa as opposed to INF. It is true that INF will always be more efficient on TRs (w/ their 2-1 numbers), but if you can put just 2 additional ARM on Africa, augmented by a FTR for say 2 turns, I think you will see better results than if you put 4 INF instead. Use the INF in Europe–a few tanks are better in Africa…

IF you can get them there…

Ozone27

For me 2 ARM max (1 at start and 1 brought G2 or G3,) plus aforementioned INF. Otherwise, too much sucked from Germany’s defense. My opponents are aggressive.

I agree with Xi RE: # of units. I often see Germany (myself included) building an extra transport to get more to Africa only to see on Turn 3 that they don’t do a thing except perhaps a prickshot via suicide run on Caucus if the opportunity is right. The allies always have navy on T3 to harass the German coast.

While buying another TR for use in supplying Africa G1 is very useful, I’ve been having extremely bad luck w/ it lately. Since the institution of bidding is becoming incrementally closer in our games, I’ve been thinking of what I’m gonna do with various bids. I still think INF are good purchases for Europe, OK for Africa, but ARM is the best choice for Africa–IF you can afford it. Think about it tho–you start w/ 2 more ARM that all the Allies COMBINED! Early in the game, I think you can afford it.

JMO

Ozone27

I’m guessing you’re playing 1HBB?
I usually have my Med fleet stay put on the G1 but this approach might work better.
You should also load your Med Trn into the Med BB battle to take Gibrator so the UK plane cannot counterattack. Build a sacrificial Trn (Make the UK bomber choose between going after BB and Trn at Gibrator or lone Trn at SEu. Most people choose the lone Trn. 8) ). On G2 you can then amph aslt Egpyt, possibly with planes too.
Bringing the armor into Africa seems to be the more popular option for the reasons they have stated, ie to blitz Africa quickly.

Damnit, I hate replying when not logged in, I’m the target of any flames for the above post :-)

BB

Yes it is 1HBB. I see the value in taking Gibraltor but then i cannot transport to libya to possibly take Egypt next round. Also I’ve attacked UKBB in Med with BB and Bmr. If UKBB hits a parting shot, I was thinking of losing the BB. The Bmr being used later against Allied transports. Don’t forget i now have a tran at Algeria. Do I still need to build a tran on G1? I know there are lots of ways to do this, but for experienced players what works best most often?

Your SEu tran will be killed by UK bomber and Alg tran killed by US bomber. So you have no Med fleet on turn 2 already. Even if you build a tran in SEu the 2 tran can still be easily killed by the UK bomber. So the lesson is to keep your tran and BB together. Take the bomber as your loss. Build a sacrificial tran in SEu and the UK BB will most likely go after it. Then take your Infs from Gib to amp aslt with BB and Ftrs Egypt or Libya if the UK is foolish enough to take it. Your fleet should survive for a few turns. In the unlikely event that the UK bomber attacks BB and tran, you may want to take BB as a loss so you can take the Inf off Gib and still amp aslt. Taking your tran as a loss is also OK but then you have to choose either rescuing the Gib Infs or amp aslt. The Infs can also walk into Spain but not a good idea. Of course all these will be spoiled if the UK sub survive. :(

I’m usually a conservative player but Germany really can’t be conservative. Build a transport and 8 infantry, in fact all infantry for the first few rounds as Germany, ya need the fodder. Move the BB and transport with 2 infantry against egypt, tank and infantry from Libya to Egypt and drive the tank through French Equatorial Africa. If the brit sub hits and you hit, bummer but take of the BB, it bites but past T2 if you have put 6 infantry in Africa the fleet has done it’s job. If the sub hits and you miss a real bummer, take the BB off and drop the infantry off in Libya and hope for the best. Ya the newly built transport can be hit by the Brit bomber but it must land in spot you can hit, ensure you have a bomber and fighter or more in Western Europe after T1 to hit any air on gibralter and any transports the allies use for africa or build off the US coast. Make them sacrafice their transport to get a few men in africa……

Yeah, that’s why I’m reluctant to go after Egypt on the first turn. Losing the BB spells a quick death to the Med fleet. But your way does give Germany a quick start in Africa. :D

@dubya:

Yes it is 1HBB. I see the value in taking Gibraltor but then i cannot transport to libya to possibly take Egypt next round. Also I’ve attacked UKBB in Med with BB and Bmr. If UKBB hits a parting shot, I was thinking of losing the BB. The Bmr being used later against Allied transports. Don’t forget i now have a tran at Algeria. Do I still need to build a tran on G1? I know there are lots of ways to do this, but for experienced players what works best most often?

As stated above, moving an ARM to Algeria is the better bet, since in Algeria if it survives it can maybe do something, but in Norway it can do nothing but die. Plus leaves 1 extra INF on Norway to maybe score a hit when the Allies attack.

Of course, if the Allies are planning to land troops on Algeria T1, then 2 INF there would be a better bet, & screw Norway. Tough choice, but all things considered I’d go w/ the 1 ARM: IF–IF–you are planning to move something Norway->Algeria T1…

Don’t count on that TR to survive longer than UK/USAs T1, though. If you are going to build a TR, then build it & DON’T move the BB!

Basically if you leave the Gibraltar BB, or the Suez SUB alive T1, they & the UK BMR can be expected to hit Central Med. Since you are attacking the SUB in your scenario w/ only 1 FTR, you are taking a 50%/50% chance that you will miss; the SUB will submerge or withdraw. If you then leave an exposed TR in Central Med T1 it will be sunk by the British. Strength here is in numbers…

In other words, all your TRs should remain by the side of the BB for as long as all are afloat. Sink all the UK naval units in the Med T1. Exposed German TRs are easy meat for basically any Allied unit.

Incidentally, the reason why Gibraltar should be taken is to prevent the UK from attacking West Med w/ FTRs. Unless UK owns Algeria, West Europe or Spain–or owns a CV–then they can’t hit West Med from Britain w/ a FTR without landing at Gibraltar. If that is not a factor, then don’t bother w/ it.

Ozone27

If ya don’t put the german fleet in West Med ya don’t have to defend against it’s attack :-) I’m really hooked on the Germans building an xport and moving the med fleet against the brit sub. Mind you we play no russian first attack, germans get jet power, japs get super sub and IC’s are open to anybody. No bidding so the Germans in effect must do or die on T1. If you win and take egypt then only the brit bomber can attack German navy, the new xport or the xport and BB off egypt (unless the brit sub wins….). I think as the brit I would trade 2 air to prevent the germans from getting any more troops to africa. Germany just can’t afford to build another transport past T1. Even a lone bomber against an xport and BB, we both hit, you take the xport, what good is the BB now? If you put troops in algeria it’s worse, as the allies I’d sacrifice a fair bit to kill your xport AND the troops you bring over on T1.

My crew plays w/ very similar rules as yours, BigBlocky, except NO Axis Advantage :o . BBs are 1-Hit & Russia is Restricted. Been trying to institute a bid for a while, but until everyone can agree the game is slanted, then a bid is useless (SOMEONE will always bid down to 0). Until then I’m gonna try to institute 20-24 IPC Industries–might help a little…

BigBlocky makes a GREAT point–without the TRs, the Italian BB is totally useless to Germany. Just recently I played a game where all my German TRs were sunk on T2. My BB sat in port at Southern Europe for the WHOLE GAME, only trying to make a break for it when the game was obviously lost–whereupon it was finally sunk. It just wasn’t worth it to the Allies to sink the BB, since I couldn’t place a TR w/out it being sunk so they knew I wouldn’t buy any. Actually my greatest hope at that point in the game was to somehow use the BB in a suicide strike against the UK fleet (supporting the aircraft) but the opportunity to position it for one never materialized & it was wrecked trying to high-tail it to Japan. Pretty pathetic!

Don’t lose the TRs.

Ozone27

I don’t play “Do or die.”

I play “You die.” :roll:

Play “You die” all you want. After consulting with my crew, we all agree that I have about 200+ games of A&A under my belt against about 30 different people over 20 years. I hate to brag but I am so good at it…… I’ve lost perhaps 5 games… Comment all you want on maybe I should play new people… Why do you think I am here? Bring it on boyz… :-)

Seriously, as much as I hate to lose, if I do… I hope it is do to my foe’s superior tactics rather than crappy dice. In that way I have learned. Then I can spring it on my local crew and claim it was inspiration on my part snickers Win if you can, lose if you must but always cheat! wg

BB

@Soon_U_Die:

Ozone,

Your best bet when down to the BB only (and early) is to get it thru the canal, if possible, into the RedSea. There it can stay, or IndiaSz etc and provide Japan with a permanent air defence platform for her trannies….freeing one of the Jap Capital ships to go elsewhere. This isn’t always possible, but sometimes it is…otherwise, it’s just like you say.

Alternatively, I’ve used it in the Med to support the Jap fleet coming thru…but that’s another story.

SUD

Dude, I would’ve LOVED to have done that…unfortunately I pulled an absolutely crapola 1st move in Africa & never had a ghost of a chance of siezing the canal.

You talkin’ Japs thru Atlantic, or thru Suez? What do you have in mind? Last time I pushed a Jap fleet thru Suez, the German fleet just sat there waiting for the linkup (it DID work BTW, but the combined fleets failed to take UK through an absolute total F***-UP on our combat move). I’ve never tried the Atlantic move, though I’ve read all about it. Elaborate…

Ozone27